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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Oman to host annual meeting of Development Financing Institutions

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The Sultanate is hosting later this week the annual meeting of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP) — a 131-member-strong grouping that seeks to strengthen the ability of institutions to channel development finance to secure a sustainable future for their national populations.


The Sultanate’s premier development financing institution, Oman Development Bank (ODB), has played a key role in bringing the Association’s prestigious annual forum to Muscat for the first time. The three-day meeting will take place at Sheraton Oman Hotel from February 20, 2019.


In a welcome message, Phub Dorji, Chairman — ADFIAP, said the Muscat forum will focus on the theme, ‘DFI’s Role in National Development’, highlighting the various programmes and undertakings of DFIs in the development of entrepreneurship, infrastructure, technology, and initiatives for climate action.


“As in the past, the annual gathering aims to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas and sharing of knowledge which are more opportune and relevant at this time when the sustainable development goals (SDGs) are in place. While DFIs that will be represented in Muscat come from different countries and operate under different economic settings, DFIs share commonalities in the concepts, principles and practice of development finance,” Dorji, who is also CEO of Bhutan Development Bank Ltd, stated.


The keynote address will be delivered by Dr Dhafir al Shanfari, CEO of the Omani Authority for Partnership for Development (OAPFD) and Acting CEO of the Competition Protection and Monopoly Prevention Centre.


Also on the panel of speakers and session chairs from Oman are: Shaikh Salah Hilal al Maawali, CEO — SME Fund Oman; Muneer al Muneeri, CEO of Rakiza, Oman’s infrastructure fund; Sharifa al Barami, Co-Founder of MarkeetEx, an e-commerce marketplace that aims to improve lifestyles; and Khalid Alsafi al Haribi, Managing Director, Impact Integrated.


The opening day’s deliberations will focus on four subthemes: (i) DFIs and Entrepreneurship Development, where DFIs are called upon to act as financiers, advisers, and incubators for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs); (ii) DFIs and Infrastructure Development, showcasing both hard infrastructure (transport, energy, roads, others) and soft infrastructure (education, health care, others) projects and the mode of financing that DFIs are undertaking in this area; (iii) DFIs and Technology Development, outlining DFIs are doing to advance technology development in their countries; and (iv) DFIs and Climate Action, which will underscore what DFIs are implementing that are environmentally-responsible and economically-viable.


The roster of international speakers includes top-level officials representing, among others, Agrobank (Malaysia), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus, PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (PERSERO), Development Bank of Japan, Inc, DFCC Bank PLC (Sri Lanka), Vnesheconombank (Russia), Agence Francaise Development, Development Bank of the Philippines, and Samoa Housing Corporation.


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